This conference will provide legal writing professors with the opportunity to present short sessions about pedagogical techniques, innovations in curriculum design, and methods of fostering good interpersonal relations between students and faculty that work to improve law student performance and learning in the legal writing course by engendering hope in our students. The organizers welcome proposals for 30-minute and 50-minute presentations on these topics. Proposals should be sent as an e-mail file attachment in MS Word, WordPerfect, or PDF to Professor Jan Levine at levinej@duq.edu by September 8, 2009.

Proposals should be under 1000 words, and should note the topic to be addressed, the amount of time needed, any special technological needs, the presenter’s background and affiliation, and contact information. Proposals will be reviewed by Professors Julia Glencer, Erin Karsman, Jan Levine, and Tara Willke of the Duquesne University School of Law; Professors Ben Bratman, Teresa Brostoff, and Ann Sinsheimer of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law; Professors Hollee Temple, David Krech, and Grace Wigal of the West Virginia University College of Law; and Professors Allison Martin and Kevin Rand of Indiana University.

Attendance at the conference is free, with breakfast and lunch included, and Duquesne will provide free on-site parking to conference attendees. Pittsburgh is an easy drive or short flight from many U.S. and Canadian cities. To accommodate persons wishing to stay over in Pittsburgh on Friday or Saturday evenings, Duquesne will arrange for a block of discounted rooms at a downtown hotel adjacent to campus, within walking distance of the law school and downtown Pittsburgh.

The Duquesne Law Review will devote approximately 200 pages to a proceedings issue based on presentations made at this conference!